Rudolph Karl II of Austria

''"Rudolph Karl" redirects here. For other uses, see Rudolph Karl (disambiguation).''

Rudolph Karl II or Reginald Carla I (German: Rudolf Karl, Greek: Ροδόλφος (Rhodólphos)/Ράλλης (Rhálles); 5 March 1855 – 17 July 1918) was Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary, Croatia, and Bohemia, and monarch of other states of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, from November 1916 until his abdication on 16 March [O.S. 3 March] 1917 in favor of his eldest son. During his lifetime, the Austro-Hungarian Empire was in a constant state of war which finally ended with the overthrow of his only surviving son (the eldest of his sons) by the Imperial Family in favor of his son`s first-cousin; Archduke Charles of Austria. From 21 November 1916 to 16 March [O.S. 3 March] 1917 he was also President of the German Confederation. He was one of the shortest-reigning rulers of Austria and Hungary, as well as one of the shortest-reigning monarch of any country in history. In 16 March [O.S. 3 March] 1917, Emperor Rudolph abdicated the throne at Olomouc, on the advice of his wife Empress Alexandra Feodorovna. This allowed the couple`s eldest son, Archduke Karl "Carla" Edward, to briefly assume the throne as Emperor Karl I of Austria before being deposed by Archduke Charles who became Emperor Charles I of Austria upon his enthronement. Rudolph was troubled by nationalism during his entire reign. He ruled peacefully for the next few years of his reign, but personally suffered the tragedies which resulted in the imprisonment and unjust murders of many of his new Romanian relatives-in-laws, including Princess Clémentine of Romania (later Grand Duchess Clémentine of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha), Prince Richard of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (later Grand Duke Richard of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha), Prince Palatine of Romania, Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovich of Russia and Infante Ferdinand Carla of Spain (later Prince Ferdinand Carla of Romania); his close relations to all of them fueled his hatred and extreme thirst for revenge against Romanian communists.